The Life of a Shaman
by Black Lace101
Summary: A shaman is told by her patron goddess that there is a dimensional rift in Tokyo, Japan. She goes there to find that completing this mission isn't as easy as performing a ritual. And will she still be able to close the rift when she finds love in Feudal J
1. Prologue

**A/N: After a couple months of writers block, I'm finally back in the game! I was getting rather sick of Lord of the Rings fanfiction, so I decided to do something different. The end result? An Inuyasha fanfic. I've done my best to ensure that my character is as un-sueish as possible, although for the sake of the plot, she had to have some interesting talents. This story is rated M to be safe. It's mostly because of foul language, but there will likely be quite a bit of gore in later chapters, as well as some mature subject matter, but I've yet to decide that. Just to give any horney pervs fair warning, if there IS mature subject matter...okay, I'll say it...citrus...it won't be descriptive. So, anyway, enjoy.**

_"This is mind to mind speak"_

((This is translation))

Prologue:

Floating. That wonderful sensation one feels when drifting between the worlds of slumber and consciousness. That was the way she knew that she was close to her destination. She reveled in the warm, comforting feeling, and the urge to continue drifting into the world of sleep was strong, but she had business to take care of. She focused her mind, focused on her true destination in the astral realm. She shed the weight on her chest, the weight that kept her spirit and body intact. The ritual drumming faded in the background as she sent out the mental command that would release her spirit from the confines of her physical form. _I…am…elsewhere…_

Now her spirit stood on the edge of the astral realm. She stared through the misty veil to the physical world, where her body sat, an assistant was drumming a slow rhythmic beat nearby, and candles burnt at the four points surrounding her. She could see a silver thread extended from her collarbone in the physical world, which attached to the equivalent in her spirit form, a huge black hound. This was her lifeline, the silver cord that allowed mortals to travel through the astral realm before death, the cord that would stretch forever, and never break, so long as the will to live remained. She mentally snorted, noticing how much the thread looked like a leash. Feeling the being she sought calling to her, she began to walk deeper into the realm. Any malignant beings she passed shied away, as well as many of the benign. The only beings who never ran were the creatures who were completely neutral. They did not aid, nor did they cause chaos. They were often spirits who sought to complete a task so that they might return home, what some cultures would call heaven, to heal and then reincarnate once again.

"_Come to me, my shaman." _The voice. Musical, yet harsh, kind, yet cruel, loving, yet vengeful. The voice of the one she sought. The voice of the Goddess Hecate. A light, the light of a torch. She ran to it, the voice growing stronger. Finally, she had found it. This time, the Goddess had taken the form of a cloaked woman. In one hand, she held a torch, to guide the travelers of night, and in the other, she held two chain leashes, which held her two loyal black hounds.

"_Mother." _She dipped into a low bow.

"_Rise, my loyal soldier." _She rose, and was embraced by the being. _"Is the deed done?"_

"_Yes. The spirit of the Vodun Priestess has been exorcised." _

"_Excellent. You have done well, loyal shaman. Though you may grow weary, there are new matters to attend to. You must go to Tokyo," _said the being.

"_As always, I am at your disposal, Mother Hecate…what is it that I will find on arrival?"_

"_This task is not as simple as exorcising a vengeful spirit, my loyal shaman…this may take months, possibly years…and you may leave the experience greatly altered. Does this daunt you?"_

"_No, Mother…I shall do what is needed to keep balance in the worlds. Such was my oath years ago, and such is my duty now."_

"_Good. There is a dimensional rift, located somewhere in Tokyo. You must find this young woman," _said the Goddess, projecting an image of a teenage girl into the shaman's mind. _"She is the key to finding the rift. Find what causes the disturbance, and help to destroy it…do I sense irritation, my shaman?"_

"_Forgive my bluntness, but how in the seven circles of hell am I supposed to find one anonymous individual in a city with a population of 8,083,980?"_ asked the shaman, huffing in annoyance. The Goddess chuckled and replied, _"You will know her when you see her."_

_"Of course." _She fought the urge to roll her eyes, and added, _"Is there anything else of importance which I should know of? I imagine the drummer grows tired."_

"_No, I believe I have told all that is required," _replied the being.

"_Then I shall take my leave." _She bowed, and began to walk back to the boarder.

"_Wait," _said the Goddess.

"_Yes, Goddess Hecate?"_

"_Have you ever been in love, my shaman?"_

_"Uh...I'm not sure I know what you mean..." _said the Shaman, looking puzzled.

_"It is a simple enough question. Have you ever loved someone?" _

"_Do you really need to ask? No, I haven't. I have spent the greatest part of my life dedicated to you, my Goddess. My life's work has not leftme the timefor romance."_

"_Do you ever regret your choice?" _The shaman paused for a moment, considering how she should answer. She sighed inwardly, knowing that there was no point in lying, Hecate knew her better than she knew herself. After all, she had spent 25 years learning the way of the shaman, for she never stopped learning, gaining knowledge and power. She looked back at the Goddess.

"_Yes…at times. But the life of a true shaman does not leave room for romantic encounters. I made my choice years ago, and I have lived a full life. I have no reason to regret, Mother."_

"_You speak as if your life is over, my shaman. This mission may prove to be a learning experience for you. Farewell, daughter, be safe." _With that, Hecate, along with her hounds, disappeared into the mist. The shaman sat, looking utterly puzzled for a moment before feeling insistent tugging on her silver thread. Someone was shaking her frantically back in the physical realm. She snarled in annoyance and was roughly pulled back to her body, snapping awake.

"I tell you no touch body," she said in thickly accented Haitian Creole, fatigue setting in as she slowly rose to her feet. She hated it when someone disturbed her body while she was in trance, it made her spirit rush back to her body far to quickly, leaving her feeling sick and drained.

"I'm sorry, Madam Shaman, but you weren't moving at all, and I couldn't tell if you were breathing or not…" said the old man who had been assisting her.

"Well, that mistake you not make again, yes?" she asked, glaring at him. He shuddered, and replied, "Yes Madam Shaman. We have gathered a reward as a way to thank you for your services." The man handed her a small sack made from hog-skin, filled with what was obviously old, precious jewelry, and what looked like the months pay from every Haitian in the village. She felt the bottom of her stomach drop out, thinking of the hell these people would go through if she accepted this gift, and immediately handed the sack back to the old man.

"No. I no take. More angry spirit come if family give away jewel. And I no need gift…I did duty." With that, she roughly ushered him out of the hut so that she could change out of her ritual robe, not giving the old man a chance to object. She had come to Fond Verrettes, a small town in Haiti to exorcise the angry spirit of a powerful Vodun priestess. She was strong in life, and so her spirit was strong in death. The spirit had scared many livestock literally to death, and had summoned vermin to spoil the stored grain.

However she was able to exorcise the spirit, sending it to the underworld, never to return. With her duty done, she needed to return to her home in London to prepare for her next mission in Tokyo. After she had changed into a non-descript sleeveless top and khaki shorts and left the hut, two little girls ran up to her smiling brightly. _Oooh no…_she thought, a smile quickly forming on her usually stoic face. She adored children.

"Did you scare away the mean ghost, Madam Shaman?" asked the taller of the two. She knelt down and toyed with one of the smaller girl's braids, saying with a smile, "Yes, I scare her off good. She no hurt you no more." The little girls squealed their delight and hugged her tightly.

"I need to go now, but…" she dug in one of her bags and produced two bracelets made from her trance beads. She suspected that either the girls or their parents would end up selling them for food, but that suited her just fine. At least they would have food in their stomachs, and if they kept them, the spirits she worked with would likely keep the girls safe. "I give these to you, they keep you safe." The girls eyes widened and they gazed at her in disbelief, before those looks were replaced with ear-to-ear smiles only little children are capable of. She smiled warmly, embracing the girls one last time before saying, "I need to go…you know how I get to Port-au-Prince?"

The girls picked up her bags and pulled her to the outskirts of the village where a man in a small cart, pulled by two decidedly emaciated-looking mules, was slowly rolling away.

"Tann! Estope!" she cried, grabbing her bags and running up to the cart.((Wait! Stop!)) The man tugged hard on the reins and the mules brayed in disgust, backing up several feet.

"What?" asked the man irritably, suddenly realizing who she was. "I'm sorry Madam Shaman! I didn't realize!"

"No worry. I need to go to Port-au-Prince, how far can you take? I pay for your help," she added. The man thought for a moment, then replied, "I can take you as far as Arcahie. I would take you all the way, but I don't think my mules could make it."

"Arcahie?" she paused for a moment, figuring out how much farther she had to go. "That good, I can walk from there if I no find better way." With that, she climbed into the cart, waving to the children as the man clucked at the mules to start walking.

"Ou remèsye!" she called. ((Thank you!)) They waved until she lost sight of them around a bend. She was sorry to leave the village, she loved Haiti. The people were friendly, and always willing to share the little they had. She would have liked to stay for a time to learn as much as she could about the culture, and preferably improve her horribly accented Creole. But she couldn't neglect her duties, and by the looks of things, this new mission was going to be difficult to complete. She had no idea then just how difficult it would prove to be.

**A/N: There you go, a short prologue to get you interested. Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer. Don't forget to read and review and tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow, I got a chapter done in a span of two days. A few things I forgot to mention about the fic in the prologue: It's going to be pretty AU, as my OC comes into the mix just a little before Shippo shows up. But I'm not going to bother recounting a bunch of episodes from the show, although for the purposes of moving the plot along, I am going to include a few of episodes, and there are going to be a few events in this fic that don't happen in the series. It might take me a couple of chapters to get the ball rolling, but I'll try to keep it perpetually interesting after I get all the "how so-and-so got to such a place" stuff out of the way. Oh, just a warning to the wary, there are a few decidedly vulgar English slang expressions in this chapter, my apologies if you're offended by foul language. I was attempting to make the dialogue a bit more realistic. **

**A great big thank you to rehab 41 for reviewing, and giving me TONS of great ideas for developing my character, and to those who are reading. Enjoy!**

_"This is mind-to-mind speak"_

_This is thought_

Chapter 1

The Shaman flopped down in her bed, thoroughly exhausted. She hadn't slept in days. She was able to hitch-hike to Port-au-Prince, only to find that a flight to London wasn't available until the next week. Trying to sleep at the airport proved to be an interesting learning experience. She learned that sleeping at the airport was impossible.

"Ugh…and now I have to plan a flight to Tokyo…" she moaned, burying her face in a pillow. She rolled on her back, staring up at the white, textured ceiling of her cozy London flat. She had never been so happy to see her home again. The place had grown cold and stale in her three weeks absence, and it was taking a while for her to get used to the hustle and bustle and noise of the city again, but it was still home.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, her bedside phone rang, scaring her senseless. After her heartbeat slowed back down to a normal rate, she picked up the receiver.

"Hello, Sylvia Cardinal speaking."

"Sylvie! Where the fuck have you been the past month!" shouted an agitated Scot.

"Who is this?" she asked, massaging her temple.

"'Who is this' she says! Fucking Nora! It's Al McLain, you remember, your agent? I've been trying to reach you for the past two weeks!"

"I got that impression from your oh-so-cordial greeting, Allan. Are you going to tell me WHY you've been trying to reach me, or do I have to go over there and beat it out of you?" she said irritably.

"Oh, don't be so bitchy! You'd think you hadn't gotten your beauty-rest or something!"

"Allan…I haven't…and my patience is rapidly deteriorating."

"Fine! Fine! The publisher wants to do a second printing of your book, but they need your permission to do it. Trust me, you should DEFINITELY give them permission. The amount they're going to pay you is more than I make in a bloody-fucking year."

"Oh really?" she asked. Between the sleep-deprivation and the jet-lag, nothing was going to excite her.

"Well don't jump for joy or anything!" said the frustrated Scot. "So? What do you say?"

"Fine, fine, they have my permission. Can I go to bed now?"

"Now you know that verbal contracts don't cut it! You have to sign a written contract."

"Can't I do it tomorrow?" she groaned, flopping back on the bed.

"No! They've already been waiting longer than they wanted to!"

"For crying out loud…alright, alright…bring the contract over and we can get it over with…"

"Finally some sense! I won't be a minute!" With that, she heard a loud click, and then the annoying buzz of the dial tone. Allan McLain had been her agent for several years, and at that point she knew him pretty well. He had a mouth like a toilet, but he was a decent agent.

Rolling off the bed, she dragged herself out to her living room. Her shamanic exploits had always been her first priority, but they didn't help to pay the bills. She worked her fingers to the bone through high school, and moved to England from a town in Oklahoma to study World History at the University of Oxford, writing a controversial thesis entitled _Religion Through the Ages_ for her PhD, and soon after, got the work published. One large advantage was that getting a work published earned her tenure at Oxford. She could teach there until retirement. However it surprised her to some extent that the publisher wanted to do a second edition. It may have been rather controversial, being written from the standpoint of a non-Christian, but she couldn't see how it would appeal to anyone without a genuine interest in world history.

As her head started to nod, she heard the door buzzer go off. _That must be Allan..._she thought, dejectedly forcing herself up. She walked over to the intercom and pushed the button.

"Hello?"

"It's Al! Buzz me in!" he said. She winced, he always seemed to think that he had to shout into the box to be heard.

"I'm tired...not deaf," she replied, pushing the button to let him in. In about a minute, he was pounding on her door. She opened it, and he charged in with hismotorcycle helmet in one hand and his black briefcase in the other.

"Hello! Long time no see! I have the contract right here," he said, holding up his briefcase. "Bloody hell, you look half-dead. Have a wild night?" He grinned lecherously, his steel-grey eyes sparkling. She decided to ignore his comment, gesturing for him to follow her to the kitchen.

"Can I offer you anything? A drink?" she asked. _There, the obligatory hospitality's out of the way. _

"No, I can only stay for a bit. Agents don't get to go on sabbatical," he replied, feigning jealousy. She rolled her eyes and plopped down in a chair.

"I was hoping you'd say that. We can get this over with quickly."

"Shitting hell! You're even more frosty than usual! Why are you so knackered?" he asked. He seemed to be genuinely concerned.

"I've been in Haiti the past three weeks. Could you show me that contract now?"

"Haiti? Fuck a duck! What the hell were you doing there? It couldn't have been to work on your tan!" She glared at him dangerously. "Ack…sorry Sylvie." Her tolerance of him calling her anything other than Sylvia and his potty-mouth notwithstanding, she didn't appreciate him making jokes about her being African American, or partially anyway. He ran his fingers through his dark hair awkwardly; he looked fairly young for a man of forty-four. A few grey hairs could be seen in his sideburns, and shallow crows feet were starting to be visible, but he looked better than most of the men she knew. He opened up his briefcase and dug around for a minute, producing a large manila envelope and sliding it across the kitchen table to her.

"I got Neville Blake to look it over, and I read it through myself. It's all pretty straight-forward, no fine print." She read through it herself, and finding no problems with the contract, she signed it. Neville Blake was her lawyer. He wasn't a well-known attorney by any means, but he got the job done.

"There you go. I'll walk you to the door…oh wait, before you go, do you have any idea when my check from the second publication will come?"

"I'm going to over-night this to the publisher, so I shouldn't have your check any later than the end of the week."

"That's fine."

"Anyway, I'd better bugger-off. I'll show myself out. Get some sleep, eh love?" he said, getting up.

"Don't worry, I will." With that, he picked up his briefcase, and his helmet, and left. Sylvia yawned loudly and dragged herself back to her room. She flopped down on her bed, and, almost immediately, fell asleep.

* * *

When she woke up the next day, she still felt weary, but she was rested enough to function. She stretched and climbed out of bed, took off her jeans and sweater and walked over to her small altar in the corner of her room. It was nothing terribly extravagant. A framed drawing of Hecate in her most well-known form sat at the back with candles on either side, and a yew branch in the middle. Small stone statues of a dog, a bear and a raven were placed at the front of the altar. These were her totems, her animal guides. They were the different parts of her nature that made her whole. Dog was her loyalty and social nature, Bear was her love, and Raven was her mind, constantly searching for knowledge. These animal guides aided her when she called, and often visited her in her dreams.

She took a small boom box off her dresser and turned it on. The familiar, rhythmic beat of tribal drums pulsed out of the speakers, almost automatically sending her into trance. She began to spin and whirl, swaying her hips and losing herself in the steady beat.

* * *

She looked around, gazing at the familiar surroundings. A clearing in a huge, green forest. At the centre, a fire burned. This was her inner temple. Not a part of the astral realm, but part of her psyche. This was where she communed with her totem animals. She sat by the fire, and was soon joined by Dog. She smiled at the familiar being.

"_Hello, my friend. You know why I'm here, I'm sure."_

"_Yes. We are going to Japan," _he replied, his tail wagging in excitement.

"_Mother says that this mission may take a long time. Are you prepared for it?"_

"_I will remain with you until the end of time, no matter what trials you face."_

"_As will we." _A great black bird perched on her shoulder, and a huge brown bear lumbered out of the bushes, sitting down on the edge of the clearing. For some reason, although she was always loyal, and always came when needed, Bear never came very close to Sylvia when she communed with them like this. She hugged Dog tightly and caressed Raven's feathers.

"_Thank you all. Farewell." _

* * *

She snapped back to reality, turned off her boom box, dug around in her drawers for some clothes and ran to the bathroom to have a shower. She had a lot to do that day, she needed to go to the university to get her sabbatical extended, and plan a flight to Tokyo. She was just glad she had taken an interest in Japan. Her shamanic endeavors had lead her there many times over the years, and at that point she was fairly fluent in Japanese, although sometimes she had to search for the word she needed, and she tended to switch back and forth between English and Japanese without realizing it. But unlike when she attempted to speak Creole, she could carry on a conversation withthenatives without sounding mildly retarded.

She stepped out of the shower and dried off, pulling on some dress-pants and a blouse. Walking down the hall to the front door, she grabbed a light jacket, her umbrella, and her keys, leaving the flat.

Several hours later, she made it back to her flat with all her business taken care of. She went to her room and changed into a pair of pajama-bottoms and a t-shirt, and then went out to the living-room, curling up on the couch with a book and a blanket.

She sensed Dog pad out of her room andsit down by her feet, looking at her accusingly.

"_You should be going to the gym," _he said.

"_I just got back from Haiti, and I had to do a lot of walking while I was there. I think I can go a couple days without going to the gym."_

"_Maybe, but I want exorcise!"_

"_Come on now Dog, I need some time to get my energy back. I don't know how you always have so much of it." _It was only after shefinishedspeakingthat the obvious reason for it came to mind.

"_Well, the fact that I'm a spirit helps," _he replied cheekily. _"Oh fine then, if you're too lazy to get off your big butt I'll find other ways to amuse myself." _With that, she sensed him get up and pad away. She chuckled, saying, "Cheeky creature."

The next day, with her energy fully back, she took the opportunity to go to the gym and practice her kung-fu with her friend Alisa Brown. The two had been roommates all through University, and soon after they started living together they enrolled in a kung-fu class as a way to keep in shape, and as a way to bond and get to know each other. Sylvia hadn't had the best luck in the gene department. Her mother, an African American woman named Latisha, was short, plump, and had an over-abundance of curves. Sylvia had inherited her curves, and her bad metabolism, but her body structure was a bit slimmer than Latisha's. However she had to work out frequently to keep in shape. Her trance exorcises involved belly-dancing to tribal drums, so thathelped as well. Luckily, Alisa proved to have the same problem, so they encouraged each other to keep going to the class, and as a result, they were very proficient in the martial art, having studied it for nearly ten years at that point.

"So," said Alisa, ducking under a roundhouse kick and thrusting her knee towards Sylvia's stomach. "When are you leaving?"

Sylvia blocked her knee, countering with a open-palmed thrust. "In a couple days."

"Wha--OOF!" Sylvia's attack connected, landing square in Alisa's stomach, sending her flying on to her back. She coughed several times, choking out, "Bugger! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have had time to plan a bonne-voyage party!" Sylvia helped her up.

"Girl, I just recovered from the _last_ 'bonne-voyage' party you threw! I just about went home with some Cockney shirt." Alisa laughed and with a cheeky grin replied, "Why didn't you go? You could stand to have a good one-nighter! You might be less of a tight-arse after a good shagging!" Sylvia stared at her in mock shock, and dropped down on her hands, swung one of her legs out and knocked Alisa's feet out from under her. Alisa landed with a loud "Oof!", glaring at Sylvia andtugging onher legs, making her fall down in a heap. They glowered at each other for a moment before they both burst into hysterical laughter.

"But why do you have to go so soon? You just got back from bloody Haiti!" Alisa cried, wiping the tears from her eyes. Sylvia paused. Although she openly admitted that she wasn't Christian, she was reluctant to talk about her true religion. Many people in England were open-minded, but many _weren't_ so open open-minded. She had often considered telling Alisa her secrets, she was a kind, easy-going person. She'd had no problem with her mixed heritage; but Sylvia was afraid. Not only of alienating one of her few good friends, but also of becoming dependant on someone. If she told Alisa that she was a shaman, she would have to depend on her to keep her secret. That might have not been such a bad thing, if Alisa didn't mind the fact that she was pagan, knowing that Sylvia was sharing her deepest secret with her could only cause their friendship to grow, but such dependence wasn't in her nature. She preferred to be self-reliant. Putting all this into consideration, she used the same excuse she had used with Allan and the dean at Oxford U .

"I need to start doing research for a new book. You know I like to do my research at the source," she replied, standing up and dusting herself off, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"I know, always the scholar. I just miss you when you go off on these daft trips of yours Sylvia!" said Alisa. She wrapped an arm around Sylvia's shoulders as they strolled into the locker-room to shower and get changed.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink," said Alisa once they left the gym. "It's not a huge send-off, but it's something!"

"Of course," said Sylvia, grinning. "What would a send-off be without getting shit-faced?" The two laughed gleefully and hailed a taxi to go to their usual pub.

* * *

The day had come. Her bags were packed, her tickets and passport were ready. She slipped the small animal statues from her altar into a blue velvet pouch she had made herself, and slipped it into her carry-on. She didn't know if she would have a place to herself where she could keep an altar, or even do her trance-work in piece, but when she was unsure about her missions, she always felt a bit safer when she brought her statues with her.

A few hours later, she sat in the plane, looking out the window as the plane took off, and the buildings gradually shrunk. _Well...Japan, here I come._

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and PLEASE take the time to review. Reviews make me work faster !**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here it is, chapter 2! After much brainstorming with my agent/spin doctor (luv ya Cat!), and a whole lotta writer's block, it's finally finished! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to tell me what you think.**

_This is thought_

_"This is mind to mind speak"_

"**This is English"**

"This is Japanese"

Chapter 2

Sylvia sighed in frustration as she sipped her lukewarm coffee, absently scribbling doodles on her napkin. It had been almost a month since her arrival in Tokyo, and she had had no luck in finding the girl from her vision. When she got to her hotel on the first day, she immediately went to the astral realm to tell Hecate that she had arrived. The Goddess was apparently feeling charitable that day, as she divulged more specific information on the girl.

"_Her family owns a shrine." _The Goddess had said.

"_Well, I'm not going to complain, that's a lot more information than I had a moment ago. I don't suppose you would be willing to tell me the name of this shrine by any chance?"_

"_No, I believe I have been more than generous. Farewell my shaman." _And with that the Goddess had disappeared, leaving Sylvia alone in the realm.

Knowing that there was nothing for it but to search, she bought a map, using it to find all the shrines. Unfortunately, Tokyo had proven to have ten shrines of various size and fame scattered throughout the city. Unenthusiastic at the thought of visiting every shrine until she found she right one, she sat at a table outside a small coffee shop loitering the day away, waiting for a better plan of action to come to mind.

As she sat, however, her luck changed. Four school girls came walking up the sidewalk, and Sylvia's mental alarms went off. She looked up, and her inner eye quickly zeroed in on the one. She had long hair, and she seemed to have gifts similar to her own. The two made eye contact only for an instant, but in that time their spiritual powers went on auto-pilot, one 'scanning' the other, searching for evil intentions. Then, just as quickly, their connection broke, and the girls walked on. _Okay, I've found the girl. Now what the dickens am I supposed to do about it? _she thought, watching helplessly as the girl walked away. _I guess all I can do is follow her for a bit and see if I can find the shrine her family owns…_ With that, she left some money on the table and left the cafe, quietly following the girls.

"Kagome, are you coming with us to McDonalds?" asked one of the girls.

"Sorry, I can't," replied the girl with long hair. "I'm so far behind, I need all the time I can get to catch up on my homework!"

"Alright, we'll see you tomorrow then…" Then, much to Sylvia's relief, the girls parted company, three of them walking up one street, and Kagome walking down another. _Ace! She's alone…well THAT thought wasn't the least bit stalker-like. _She continued to follow the girl at a fair distance, far enough that the girl wouldn't suspect anything, but close enough for Sylvia to see her.

It turned out to be a good thing that Sylvia followed her that day, because in an instant, filthy hands grabbed the girl by her hair and clothes, pulling her into an alley. Without taking a moment to think, Sylvia was running, adrenaline and anger fueling her movements as she reached the narrow alley, running in, soon finding the culprits. The girl was surprisingly aggressive, hitting the three men who had surrounded her with her rucksack and scolding them furiously.

"Hey!" shouted Sylvia. The three men turned around, grinning maliciously when they saw that she was only a woman. "Why don't you pick on someone your own age?" With that, she charged at them. Two of the men tried to grab her arms, but she was expecting that long before they moved. She dropped on her hands and swung her legs around in a wide arch, tripping them both simultaneously. One of the men knocked his skull hard on the concrete, instantly slipping into unconsciousness. She sprang to her feet, watching the third man nervously. He was big, standing nearly a foot taller than Sylvia, with shoulders twice as broad as her own. He sneered and charged at her, attempting to pin her arms to her sides. She ducked, punching him numerous times in the stomach in a rapid motion. He dropped to his knees, choking out, "Damned bitch!"

"Look out!" cried the girl. But it was a moment too late, Sylvia turned around in time to see a fist clobber her in the side of the face. She cursed loudly, and stumbled back against the wall. The tallest of the three men got back to his feet and grabbed her by the shirt collar, backhanding her across the face and splitting her lip.

"_Bear…give me your berserker strength…"_ It only took a moment for the raw power of the bear to give Sylvia her second wind. She roared angrily, forcing the man back and high-kicking his jaw, sending him careening into the side of a building and knocking him out. There was only one man left, and his nerve was rapidly disappearing. He went to run, but Sylvia grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pinning him against the wall glaring at him and baring her teeth. She must have looked quite dangerous at that moment. Her split lip had bled profusely, leaving her mouth a grizzly mess, and a black eye made the whole side of her face swell, making it look as if she were cocking an eyebrow, daring him to try and run, the way a cat teases a mouse before snapping its neck.

"Give me one good reason I should let you go, just one, I dare you," she said, her voice dangerously quiet.

"C-c-come on lady! I-I-I didn't wanna do it! Th-th-the boss made me!"

"You really expect me to believe that!" she growled, shaking him roughly and bringing her face close enough for him to smell the blood on her lips. "You're scum…you're worse than scum…violating girls with one foot still in the cradle…why should I even let you live?" The man was noticeably trembling now, and the stench of urine filled the small space. She looked down and saw a growing dark patch on his already filthy pants. She sneered in disgust and threw him down on the ground.

"You disgust me. Get out of my sight." With that he stumbled to his feet and ran as if the hounds of Hades themselves were at his heels. She watched him go, then stumbled back, leaning against the other wall for support. With the danger gone, Bear's strength had left her, leaving her drained and sore. The girl ran to her side, resting a hand on Sylvia's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"As good as can be expected…I am far too reckless at times…" Sylvia replied, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and putting pressure on her bleeding lip. "What about you?"

"Oh I'm fine, you got here before they could lay a hand on me. How can I thank you?"

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't looking to be repaid. I'll be on my way now..." Sylvia began to walk away, but the girl grabbed her by the arm, saying, "No way! You're hurt, and it's my fault! I've got a really good first-aid kit at home, at least let me take care of that split lip."

"I don't know if there's much you can do, but if it will make you feel better..."

"It will. Come on. My name's Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"Sylvia Grant." After a fifteen minute walk, the two were in front of the shrine.

"Well, this is home!" said Kagome with a smile.

"**THIS is the shrine she lives at? If I'd known that she was so close by I would have started shrine hopping sooner!"** Sylvia grumbled.

"Huh?"

"Sorry…uh…I said I've never seen a shrine this big before."

"Oh. I guess it is kind of big…but anyway, lets go inside." The girl led Sylvia past the shrine to a decent-sized house behind it, opening the door and running in.

"Mom! I'm home!" Sylvia looked around, taking off her shoes. It was a typical Japanese home, wooden floors, sliding paper doors, and low ceilings. As she slipped off her jacket, Kagome poked her head through a door.

"Come on, the kitchen's this way!" she said with a smile. Sylvia followed her down the hallway and found herself in a spacious kitchen that felt warm and inviting. A taller woman stood by the stove and turned around, jumping back in surprise.

"My word! What happened to this poor woman?" she asked, looking from Kagome to Sylvia warily.

"She got hurt saving me," replied Kagome. "Go ahead and sit down Sylvia, I just need to go get my first aid kit." Sylvia nodded and sat down at the low table.

"You saved my daughter? What happened?" asked Kagome's mother, sitting down across from her.

"She got pulled into an alley by a few thugs and I happened to be in the right place at the right time," she replied, dabbing at her mouth with her handkerchief. Her lip was throbbing, and every time she opened her mouth to speak, it would start to bleed again. A moment later, Kagome returned with a huge first aid kit and sat down next to Sylvia, tending to her injuries. A young boy came in shortly after his sister, staring at Sylvia in awe.

"This is bad, but I've seen a lot worse," said Kagome, taking disinfectant swabs and medical tape out of the kit. _How could a little school girl have seen worse? _she thought. A sting from the disinfectant and two little strips of tape later, Sylvia's lip was taken care of. The whole time, the little boy stared at Sylvia in wonder. She noticed this, and gave him a half smile, not wanting to split her lip again.

"I can tell from your accent that you're not from Japan, where are you staying?" asked Kagome's mother curiously.

"Was it only from my accent that betrayed me?" asked Sylvia, attempting to grin but deciding against it. "I'm staying at the Akasaka Excel."

"How long are you planning to stay here?"

"Ah…well, I'm here doing research…I'm staying for about a year."

"My word! You'll be out on the street in a matter of weeks if you keep staying there! You'll stay here with us from now on."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that, I don't want to impose…"

"Nonsense! We have room, and I owe you my daughter's life, this is the least I can do to repay you."

"But---"

"Not another word."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you for your hospitality." Sylvia bowed formally to show her respect. "Is there at least something I could do around here to pay for room and board?"

"I really isn't necessary, but if you feel you must, there is work you can do around the shrine on the weekends, if you have time."

"**Oh, I've always wanted to work at a Japanese Shrine!**" said Sylvia excitedly.

"WOW! You spoke English!" said the Boy, speaking up for the first time. "Say something else!"

"**Prince Charles is evil incarnate.**"

"What does that mean?"

"Ah…it's poetry, sort of like haiku."

"COOL!" Sylvia laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. A while later, Kagome tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Can I talk to you outside?" She wore a knowing look, and Sylvia nodded solemnly, following the girl out to the back yard. She was surprised to see a huge tree, and she could feel that something important happened there in a time long past.

"Why are you really here?" asked Kagome with a grin, sitting down on a bench under the shade of the great tree. "I can tell that you're not evil, but I know that you're here for more than 'research'." Sylvia smiled. She knew the girl had powers, but she didn't think that she had any idea how to use them.

"You are smart, Kagome. That will serve you well," said Sylvia, sitting down next to her. "What I told your family is partially true, I am a Historian at Oxford, and I got the dean at the University to extend my…uh…**shit, what's the word? Oh, bugger it…**off time by telling them that I wanted to write a book on the History of Japan, and I will have to do it if I wish to keep my tenure. But, the truth is, I am a shaman, and my patron Goddess has told me that there is a dimensional rift somewhere in this city, and that you are the key to finding it. It is my duty to close this rift, or else it will cause an imbalance in the realms." At that point the girl got a funny look on her face. "Oh, don't worry, I had nothing to do with those thugs, I would never do such a thing to anyone. It is the shaman's duty to heal, not to harm. I can sense that you have powers similar to my own, and strong ones at that. I must say, I am impressed. It took me years to develop mine."

"Thanks, but I can't take any credit. I'm supposed to be the reincarnation of a priestess named Kikyou, the powers are hers, not mine."

"You can remember your past lives?" asked Sylvia with surprise.

"No, I…uh…it's complicated. I think I know the dimensional rift you're talking about…but you can't close it, not yet."

"My goddess has a tendency to give very cryptic information, but I was told that there was some sort of trouble that needed dealing with before the rift could be closed. It is my duty to help in any way I can. Would you fill me in on what we're dealing with?"

Kagome proceeded to tell her about the bone eaters well, the Sengoku Jidai, the Shikon no Tama and of Kikyou and Inuyasha. Sylvia listened intently, captivated by the trials this young girl had had to face.

"Fascinating…simply fascinating. It seems you'll need all the help you can get. The next time you go, I'm coming with you."

"That could be a problem…so far only Inuyasha and I have been able to go through the well."

"I think I will be able to, and if I can't the first time I try, there's a ritual I can do to get me through. When do you plan to leave?"

"In a few days, if Inuyasha doesn't come to get me sooner," said Kagome jadedly.

"Very well, I'll go get my things from the hotel and make preparations."

Over the next few days, Sylvia got better acquainted with the Higurashi family. After she found out that they all knew about Kagome's visits to the Feudal Era, Sylvia told them about her true intentions, and the admiration the little boy seemed to have for her tripled.

When the day came, for the first time in years, Sylvia was nervous. She stood before the well, a large rucksack on her back, her heart racing. Kagome came out a moment later with her family, giving each of them a hug. Sylvia stayed off to the side, not wanting to interrupt, but then, much to her surprise, Sota came up behind her and tugged lightly on her loose black jeans. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Um…I uh…I got this for you…" he said, looking away shyly and holding up a small charm. She took it from him and saw it was for protection. Her heart nearly ripped in half, she was so touched. She knelt down and embraced the boy tightly.

"Thank you Sota, I know that this will serve me well." He returned her embrace, and as she reluctantly let go of him, she saw his face had turned bright red, but he looked delighted that she appreciated his gift. Then Kagome's mother approached her and hugged her tightly, saying, "I know that I don't need to tell you to be careful, you fight evil beings all the time. But please, watch over Kagome for me." Forcing back tears, she replied, "I'll guard her with me life."

"Ready to go?" asked Kagome, standing by the entrance to the well and smiling excitedly.

"Y…yes." The two walked down the stairs, and Kagome straddled the side, saying, "Just in case, brace yourself for the fall, but if it works you won't feel any impact. I'll wait for you on the other side for about ten minutes, if you don't make it by then I'll come back for you and we can try going through together." Sylvia nodded, and watched as the girl jumped down into the well, and was enveloped in a bright blue light. She looked down into the well a moment later, and the girl was gone.

"**Shit on a stick…**" she muttered. Her heart raced and she mimicked Kagome's movements, sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. _Well…no point in sitting here like a twit…one…two…THREE!_ With that, she closed her eyes and pushed herself off the ledge, bracing herself for the impact. But there was none. She felt a slight tingling sensation, and then she felt as if she were floating. Cool air caressed against her skin and she opened her eyes to find that she was enveloped in that same bright blue light. A moment later, her feet gently touched down on the ground, and she looked up not to see the ceiling of the shed that contained the well, but blue sky, and thick green vines grew on the side of the well. She gulped loudly, and took hold of the vines, beginning her climb. _Well…this is it. I've made it…now what dangers will I have to face?_

**A/N: Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!**


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